What Should Airlines Do About Passenger Peanut Allergies?

Two recent cases raise the question: How far should an airline go to accommodate passengers with special needs?

Before her scheduled flight from Denver to Newark on August 31, Lianne Mandelbaum says she did what she always does prior to boarding: She called her airline to ask if the crew could accommodate her son, who has a severe peanut allergy, by making a brief announcement about his condition and asking passengers to refrain from opening or eating peanuts on board. The person she spoke with told her to inform the gate agent on the day of the flight, something she'd done before a number of flights previously, when crews made announcements about her son's allergy every time. This crew, though, refused to alert other passengers about the issue—as Mandelbaum watched a family of five, also booked for Newark, scarf down nuts in the gate area. Faced with the difficult choice of boarding a plane she knew would be filled with potentially hazardous nuts or staying on the ground, Mandelbaum says she had no choice but to skip the flight. She planned to drive all the way home, from Denver to New Jersey, until a family member arranged for a private flight instead. "We were incredibly lucky to have him do this," she says, "but what about the families that have no options?"

If the story sounds familiar, it's because a similar incident made headlines in May, when another United passenger called the airline about her allergy and was assured that an announcement could be made. Once on the aircraft, though, the crew refused to alert passengers to the woman's allergy, she told reporters at the time. When another flier four rows back starting eating peanuts, the woman had a severe reaction and the flight had to make an emergency landing, according to a lawsuit filed over the trip.

"We do have a peanut policy," says Rahsaan Johnson, a United spokesman who adds that the airline stopped serving peanuts "several years ago." The policy, which is posted online at United.com, does not guarantee "peanut-free flights."

"As with most entities," Johnson says, "we can't guarantee that a customer would not encounter—particularly by way of another customer—peanuts or peanut products on board an aircraft."

That doesn't explain the disconnect between what passengers are told before their flights (that crews will make an announcement about allergies on board) and what actually happens (those crews refuse to do so). Mandelbaum, for her part, noted that inconsistency in a complaint she filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation about the August incident.

"Because United has always complied in the past," Mandelbaum wrote of her requests for announcements about her son's condition, "and the phone agent has encouraged me to remind the gate agent, the lack of uniformity in their policy is both confusing and alarming. How can I book travel not knowing which crew will try to make my son safe?"

Despite her frustration, Mandelbaum doesn't have unrealistic expectations of the airline. "I never expect that any place I go will be able to guarantee my son's absolute safety," she says. "That's why I always carry an EpiPen. I just want to take steps to make [an allergic reaction] less likely to happen."

But should the airline be willing to make an announcement to make sure moms don't have to resort to emergency treatments in flight? How far should an airline go to accommodate passengers with special needs? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Here's the text of Mandelbaum's complaint to the Department of Transportation regarding the flight she and her son didn't take:

My eight-year-old son has a documented anaphylactic peanut allergy. I always travel with emergency medication and wipe down the tray table and seat before boarding. When I booked my ticket as I always do, I follow up with a phone call to have it known that he is allergic on the airline's records. The person on the phone always reminds me to inform the gate agent, so an announcement can be made to other passengers. No one has ever informed me that the crew can refuse to make an announcement for any reason.

I requested on 8/31/13 that the flight attendant make an announcement to passengers where we were seated. This has been done previously for me multiple times on United Airlines. The gate agent, customer service rep, and crew refused. Because United has always complied in the past, and the phone agent has encouraged me to remind the gate agent, the lack of uniformity in their policy is both confusing and alarming. How can I book travel not knowing which crew will try to make my son safe? They were incredibly rude in front of my child, who was traumatized. We have other flights booked in the future on United and I would like to cancel without penalizations as I will never be able to fly on United with my child again. I would also like a refund for the flight I never took.

A child should not feel threatened on a plane. We know that even if the announcement is made, the plane is not peanut free and an exposure is still a possibility. That is why we have an EpiPen with us at all times. However, reasonable steps such as an announcement seem within our rights as passengers on a commercial flight to minimize our child's exposure. How can fellow passengers know not to open peanuts unless someone tells them? Recently, a passenger went into anaphylaxis from exposure from another passenger. That was also a United flight and an announcement was refused. The person who opened the nuts was later interviewed and said they would not have opened them if an announcement was made. Our children need to be protected.